Military History

Thomas is listed as dying of his wounds on 4 Apr 1918. He was buried at Duisans which at that time was the home to a single military hospital unit, 8th Casualty Clearing Station, the 41st having left Duisans in July 1917 and the 19th having left in March 1918.

Douglas Bridgewater in his book A Small Town in the Great War tell us that Tom was wounded on 2 Apr 1918 but this does not tally with the Battalion War Diary Statement of Casualties which lists zero casuatlies for each of the 2nd; 3rd and 4th April 1918. However 3 men were wounded on the 1st when the Battalion was relieved in trenches at night and the relief did not complete until 1am on the 2nd.

The war diary entries for both the 1st & 2nd are transcribed below:

Trenches - 1918-April-1st: Fine sunny day. Enemy artillery active, chiefly on Battery Valley & in vicinity of Battalion HQ. Enemy aeroplanes fly over our lines and back areas on and off all day. 2nd Seaforth Highlanders relieve the Battalion at night and the Coys come back to Brigade Reserve. B & C Coys in the Army Line astride the railway, D Coy in the intermediate line and A Coy in Rifle Camp. Coys get out without casualties. Relief complete 1am. 2nd Lt N.A. Kingston killed.

Statement of Casualties: Killed: 1 Officer and 3 O.R.  Wounded: 3 O.R.  Missing 2 O.R.

Trenches - 1918-April-2nd: Fine day, fairly quiet on the whole. D Coy sent parties of men at a time to baths in Stirling Camp where they get cold baths and clean change of clothing. Lieut Le Gros. 2nd Lt Watkins & 2nd Lt Murch rejoin the Battalion from Div Depot Battalion. Lt Le Gros takes over command of C Coy vice Capt Simms Lt C R W Mansell took over D Coy from Lt Giles 0n 29 3 18. Hostile artillery below normal during day. Fine night.

Statement of Casualties Nil. END